Insta360 Air 360-degree camera for Android quick review

The Insta360 Air is a smartphone add-on that turns your Android device into a fully-fledged 360-degree VR camera. It's capable of capturing still images and video, and comes with a live-streaming function. It only weighs 26.5 grams / ~1oz, comes with a protective rubber case and attaches to your phone either via the microUSB or USB Type-C port. We got our hands on the latter version and have tried it out on the Huawei P10 and Motorola Moto Z Force.

Key specifications:

Phone Compatibility Android phones

Dual-fisheye lenses

F2.4 aperture

3008 x 1504 (3K) still image resolution

2560 x 1280 video resolution (3008 x 1504 with some smartphones)

30 frames per second

Real-time stitching

37.6mm / 1.48in diameter

26.5 grams

Available with microUSB or Type-C connector

The Insta360 Air is small and lightweight enough to always be carried anywhere.

A rubber case provides protection on the go.

Operation

The capture screen offers a good range of features, including filter effects.

Optionally images and videos can be exported in 'tiny planet' format.

Using the Insta360 Air is very intuitive. Plugging the camera into your phone's USB-port launches the Insta360 app which lets you capture images, record video or live-stream to YouTube or a web-address. When shooting images or video you can apply exposure compensation or Instagram filters, which are applied to the preview image.

The integrated viewer allows you to create albums and see your recorded content in all its 360-degree glory. There is also a range of sharing options which let you choose between sharing full 360-degree photos/video or 'tiny-planet' style images or animations. Overall the app is nicely designed, works reliably on our test phones and reacts swiftly to user input.

The Insta360 Air can also be used as a 360-degree webcam on Skype and other video-chat applications after connecting to a PC’s USB 2.0 or 3.0 port. 360-degree webcam support for Mac should be provided soon via a software update.

The Insta360 Air can also be used as a 360-degree webcam.

Stills

In still image mode the Insta360 Air captures photos with a size of 3008 x 1504 pixels. That's less still image resolution than you'll find on cameras like the Samsung Camera 360, the LG Cam 360 or the Ricoh Theta SC and when viewed in 360-degree mode on a large screen the levels of fine detail aren't great. That said, images usually show good color and exposure, and the stitching algorithm that joins the two halves of the images does a very good job. Very occasionally, minor ghosting can be visible but otherwise images taken in good light are relatively free of artifacts.

When sharing images, you get the option to export them in a 'tiny planet' style format which can, depending on the subject, make for interesting effects. The radius of your 'planet' can be adjusted by pinch-zooming. The image below is the 'tiny planet' version of the photo above.

This is another image in bright light. Up-close the images can look a little soft but still provides a very immersive experience when viewed in a 360-degree viewer. We also like the way the area right below the camera is slightly darkened to make it less intrusive in the image.

The image below has captured a good impression of what's going on in this busy scene at MWC 2017. The camera white balance deals very well with the many different sources of illumination and image detail is not significantly reduced from outdoor images. There is no EXIF-data reported but the shutter speeds are fast enough to avoid most motion blur in indoor scenes.

Video

In video mode the Insta360 Air can record 2560 x 1280 video resolution, which is more or less in line with other entry-level 360-degree cameras. Insta360 says that with some phones a resolution of 3008 x 1504 pixels can be achieved but neither the Motorola Moto Z Force or the Huawei P10 which I used for this test offered this option, despite start-of-the-art chipsets.

2560 pixels wide is more than Full-HD resolution but stretched across an entire 360-degree circle the it's actually not that impressive and at screen size videos look a little soft. They are great at typical social media size though, with good exposure and color and smooth motion. As with the stills, occasionally some ghosting is visible.

The 1280p low-light clip below is clean but again pretty soft. Nevertheless, the clip offers a good impression of the interior space it was recorded in.

The camera also offers a 960p video option which saves you some space in your phone's storage, but as you can see in the clip below, compared to the 1280p footage detail is noticeably reduced. If you're not about to run out of space, 1280p is definitely the better option. Still, the clip below shows that, thanks to the super-wide angle lenses, Insta360 Air footage looks quite stable, even when captured hand-held from a fast-moving bike.

The 960p video below shows that the Insta360 Air is capable of capturing a usable exposure even at night but image quality is suffering quite a lot, making this clip only watchable at small output sizes.

Like in stills mode, you get the option to share videos in the 'tiny planet' format. It's a great way of displaying your entire surroundings in a standard video format and can be a fun effect.

Conclusion

The Insta360 has a lot going for it. It is one of the most affordable 360-degree cameras we have seen, and perfectly integrates with your Android device. It's ready to shoot a few seconds after plugging it into your phone and doesn't require a microSD card as it is using your device's built-in storage. The small dimensions mean you can always carry it with you and inside its rubber carrying case the camera is well protected.

The USB-connector means there is no need for a potentially flaky Wi-Fi connection to your mobile device but it does look a little fragile – disconnecting the camera when using your smartphone for other things is wise. In terms of still image resolution the Insta360 Air is not quite on the same level as some of its rivals in the entry-level segment, but images are well-exposed and mostly free of stitching artifacts.

Overall, the Insta360 Air is a great introduction to the world of 360-degree imaging that offers a good variety of features and functions to play with. And at $129 it doesn't break the bank either. More information is available at insta360.com.

Comments

I love it! I paired this with my Moto X Pure Edition and it works great. There's a few glitches with the software but that's what you get with bleeding edge technology! I've taken some great 360 degree videos and shared them on Facebook and YouTube. Works great! Can't wait for Facebook to allow live streaming with this thing!

Image gear development seems to be heading in two diametrically opposite directions. On the one hand, 4K is all the rage and offers a resolution that force you to change all your monitors, projectors and what have you.

Then, OTOH, we are supposed to go all OOOH! over a gadget with a worse image quality than a 20 year old digital compact. 360 degrees or not, it's just a laughable novelty with no practical use, at this stage.

In absolute numbers the resolution of this camera is not bad, problem is for a 360 image or video you need much higher resolution than on a standard image to achieve comparable levels of detail. Of course that comes at a cost though. For its price the Insta360 performs decently and most of all is a lot of fun...which arguably is its main purpose. Of course you get better resolutions in the professional bracket of the market but if you only want to start playing with this kind of imaging you might not want to spend pro money...

Why do people keep referring to 360' video as "VR"? VR implies a stereo image, not this blurry mess of a regular low-res spherical video. Should we also start calling 360' photos "VR photos"? It's dumb.

Well, this model is all about price in an emerging market. Very high resolution 360 cameras are available, but right now they cost $4,000-$50,000. Consider the Ricoh Theta when it first came out: not perfect, but reasonably priced and reasonably good (and Ricoh has made 4 more versions of Theta, so they must be selling somewhere).

That this Insta360 Air is so small and physically attaches to a phone (for power, memory and processing) at $130 is the real magic here.

Sorry Mark, but with that quality this camera is not worth even 50$. $130 is way over it can do. Looking at video quality I don't think anyone with screen larger than 5'' will ever use it. 360 cameras are not yet there (I wrote this as unhappy owner of Gear 360).

I had the original Ricoh Theta (won it in a writing contest from Ricoh), and I ended up giving it away. I just couldn't handle the poor quality. It's really about how stretched things are, along with the fact that it's 360 sphere, means that you need hundreds of megapixels to equal a typical point and shoot. Even a 360 camera with 50mp is going to be quite inferior in quality to a typical camera phone.

To do it right, one needs really expensive equipment. These portable units are rough on the eyes.

That's my opinion and means only how I feel. If others enjoy these products then I am happy for them.

You wouldn't criticize a smartphone camera for not having the same image quality as a full frame DSLR simply because that's not how a smartphone camera is designed to function. Similarly, the Insta360 Air is designed for personal use and fast sharing to social media. For example, its photos and videos are stitched in-camera in real time. Other 360 cameras might be more detailed but they are not as easy to share.

If you're a consumer and you're just starting with 360 cameras, the Air would be a better 360 camera for you. At the same time, if you are a prosumer or professional, obviously the Air is not the camera for your needs either (unless you're using it for personal use only).

Except for some highly technical and esoteric applications needing the 360 degree view what exactly do you use it for? Outside of a novelty-quality shot or two it might be too limited and primitive for any "serious" application.The vast (vast, as in 99.9999999%) of images shot with that thing will be totally useless "look what it can do" exercises with all the putrid aesthetics of an average selfie.

This sort of technology has a lot of real-life applications, any time somebody wants to give an impression of a a space rather than just a 2-dimensional picture. real-estate and hotels are obvious ones but there is lots more. This will hardly ever be a photographer's only tool but it's a nice extra to throw into the bag and be able to offer an additional service to your clients. I'd image some wedding clients would love to have a shot like this of their entire party...

Well, not to argue, but I see exactly zero commercial applications at this resolution, but I'll give this to you: hanging from a ceiling this thing might deliver a few amusing wedding shots, and the quality will be "good enough" for the cell-phone selfie crowd .For stationary objects (hotel rooms...not to mention specialized commercial applications) there are already way better ways of accomplishing the same with much higher quality.

A Facebook friend, who travels all over the world, posts 360° photos and I must say I really enjoy them. They give a much better impression of a place than a static, touristy shot. If I could easily take 360° photos, I would post them. Now I'm going to see if a similar gadget - at a similar price-point - is available for the iPhone.

This is actually really impressive. Sure, the quality isn't exactly top-notch, but it seems like a very cost-effective way to make 3D photos and videos more accessible for a lower cost...assuming you have an Android phone (although reportedly the iPhone will be switching to USB-C with the next model).

Yes Will, you're exactly right. When the Theta debuted, some people were interested but most people wanted to spend no more than $100. This one is close to that. On top of that, it is super easy to share photos and videos to Facebook and YouTube. And in a few weeks they will add realtime image stabilization (i.e., horizon leveling). This makes it the perfect 360 camera for personal use among the 11 (and counting...) 360 cameras I've owned and used. For iPhone, there's the Insta360 Nano which costs a little more but has a few more features.

A-W-E-S-O-M-E !!! DSLR & Compact camera inspiring ! Big boys camera makers should be inspired by this. Cell cam technologies are so light years ahead than other formats. No wonder big boy cameras are losing out to cell cams that is what PetaPixel says which I do not believe because all cellphones come with cameras and everybody got cellphones. What PetaPixel should study instead if consumers prefer the other brand because of superior camera.

Seems Leica is ahead of the pack. Leica has cell cam. Take a look at the cellphone pix. It is Leica branded!

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